Freezing Fast
by Writing-Gecko-Girl
Summary: The Doctor's meddling and manipulation of his companion finally catches up with him. On a frozen world Ace goes missing, and when her Professor finds her she is suffering from Hypothermia. The Doctor worries that he may have gone too far, and caused his friend too much pain.


"Ace!" The Doctor shouted, "Ace!"

He squinted through the blinding snow and took another hesitant step. The wind pushed back against him as he struggled through the remains of the rebel camp. The battle was long since over, won, and he still couldn't find his companion. He had thought that bringing her here, to a frozen world, would help distance her from the memories of Ice World. Then he had lost her.

"Ace?" He stepped into one of the few shelters still standing, looking around for the young woman. When they had first lost her the locals had warned that she didn't have much time, then more time had passed, and once they had won the battle he had been told it was hopeless, Ace was surely dead. He had vowed to find her, alive or dead, he owed her that much.

The Doctor shone his flashlight around the room, then gave up. He was turning to leave when he heard a quiet moan. He shone his light into the corner of the room, and a small bundle he had overlooked shifted. "Help." Whispered a quiet voice, almost undistinguishable from the howling wind outside.

He rushed to the corner, falling to his knees, "Ace?"

He dug at the cloth covering the figure, layers of odd clothing and bags fell aside, until he saw the glint of a familiar pin in the light. A few seconds later he had uncovered the familiar red lettering on the back of his friend's jacket. "Ace?" He whispered.

The figure shifted and tried to sit up. He helped her gently, lifting her into his arms. Ace's dark hair flopped across her face in messy knots, her cheeks were red and her lips blue. "Professor?" She slurred.

He smiled and held her tighter, "Yes." He whispered. "It's me."

"Is sssso c-cold." She mumbled, her words slurring together.

He patted her back. "The TARDIS is just outside." He was stretching the truth and he knew it, in actuality the ship was nearly ten minutes away.

"Hmm." She replied, leaning into him, "Warm." The Doctor decided against reminding her of how cold his skin was in comparison to her normal skin temperature. Careful not to drop Ace, he pulled off his jacket and wrapped her in it. Then he lifted her into his arms and balanced her, before walking slowly toward the door.

"I can walk." She protested. But her voice was so weak the Doctor knew she was lying, even if he ignored her trembling and blue lips.

"No."

He walked as quickly as he could, but still the TARDIS was fifteen minutes away with her added weight. She just stayed still, struggling to take quick, shallow breaths which he attempted to help by patting her back.

"Come on Ace." He urged as he felt her start to slip away, "Just a few steps farther." She moaned and shifted, hiding her face in his shoulder. "I have you. You're safe now." He wasn't entirely sure if he was repeating that for his benefit or hers. He fumbled with the key, then shoved the door open with his shoulder. Once inside he stopped for a moment, allowing himself to catch his breath now that Ace was safe and warm.

She seemed to know she was safe and indoors, because she started to become almost limp, relaxing more than before. "Come on Ace," he muttered, "Just a little while longer now."

Ace was still dazed, and almost completely unaware of what he was saying she did however nod and mumble a little although the Doctor assumed that was more to do with hearing his voice than responding to what he'd said. He carried her down the hall, into the infirmary and set her on a bed. "Can you stay awake?"

"S-sure Profess-sor."

He doubted the truth in her words as he pulled his jacket off her. Once his winter coat had been peeled away he unzipped her bomber jacket and set it aside. The building she had taken shelter in had stopped her from getting wet, so he didn't have to worry about damp clothes, instead pulling off her shoes. Her eyes had drifted closed and he snapped his fingers in front of her face. "Ace?"

She blinked at him, "Too bright."

Before the Doctor could think to react the TARDIS had already dimmed the lights. "Thank you." He whispered as he fetched several blankets. He hurried back to his companion and wrapped the blankets around her.

Shivering she asked, "What happened? How'd I get here?"

"I brought you back. Remember?"

She shrugged, "M-my hands are- they're numb. Feet t-too."

"I'm going to warm your core first." He said as he left her side and searched for heat packs. "Then I can check your hands and feet." She nodded, barely paying attention. "I know it hurts." She jumped, looking up at him in surprise, not having heard him walk to her. "But your core is more important. Don't sleep." He added as her eyes drifted shut.

"Too much pain." She grumbled, still keeping her eyes closed. The Doctor decided it would be best not to tell her that warming her up was just going to make it hurt more. He wrapped the heat packs in cloth and slipped them into the blankets, holding them on her sides. She groaned.

"Shhh." He shifted the packs a little.

"Owww! No! Hurt- hurts s-so bad!" There were tears on her red cheeks, dripping out of her eyes.

"I know." He promised, moving the packs again, trying not to keep them in one place for long. "It'll be better in the end."

She shook her head, "Rather freeze. Hurts. Stop."

"No." He forced himself to sound stern. They sat in silence for a moment as the Doctor continued shifting the packs. "Warm milk?" He asked softly. She nodded. The Doctor left the heat packs buried in the blankets with her, and hurried to the tiny kitchen in heat infirmary where he hoped the TARDIS had warm milk waiting.

She did and he picked up the mug, then retuned to Ace who was trying to push away the hot packs. "Stop." He said quietly. "Drink this." He tipped the mug to her lips, and she slowly sipped a little.

"Too hot." She mumbled. "Burns."

He set the drink aside, "Later then." He shifted the heat packs, then fetched an oxygen mask. "This will help." He promised, strapping it over her mouth and nose. The chamber flooded with warm, moist oxygen and she inhaled shakily. "Excellent."

He gently slipped her hands out from the blankets and inspected them. "Not frostbite." He said with a smile.

"Hmmm."

The Doctor stood and walked away, she started moaning, trying to call him back. "Patience." He instructed. Secretly he was glad that she had noticed he had left, before she had been completely oblivious to his presence, just noticing the pain. He filled a bowl with lukewarm water and grabbed a cloth.

When he returned to Ace's side he soaked the cloth and rubbed it over her fingers. She tried in vain to pull away from the pain, but he kept rubbing her knuckles determinedly. "I know it hurts." He assured her, "It'll stop soon."

He warmed both of her hands in that manner, getting more warm water when needed. "How are your feet?" He asked.

She shrugged.

He checked her feet, checking for stiffness and frostbite. Her shoes seemed to have prevented the cold from harming them, so he wrapped them in blankets and slid in a heat pack. "Don't go." She begged quietly.

"One moment, dear." He picked up the now air temperature milk and took it to the little kitchen, then returned to her bedside. The Doctor removed the oxygen mask and tapped her nose. "Drink," he said, putting the milk to her lips.

She sipped quietly, and emptied the mug. "Still cold." She whispered.

"I know." He wrapped the blankets tighter around her. "Better though?"

"Better." She agreed, leaning into him. "Cuddle." She mumbled. "Warm."

"Yes I- Cuddle?" He stared at his friend in alarm, surely Ace McShane of all people hadn't just said what he thought he heard. Not that he minded, but, this was Ace! She had pushed up closer to him, and he paused, realizing he was trapped under her weight. With a patient sigh he wrapped his arms around the bundle of blankets that surrounded her.

"Rest." He instructed, rolling his Rs.

He leaned her against her chest and pulled the blankets over her head to keep her warm. The Doctor closed his eyes and tried to remind himself why taking Ace to a frozen planet had seemed like a good idea. He had wanted to put distance between her and Ice World, but instead, he had just given her even more reason to hate being cold.

"I'm sorry." He whispered quietly to the sleeping girl. "So sorry."

The lights were almost all the way out when Ace woke. The Doctor had stayed with her nearly the entire time, keeping her as warm as possible with the heat packs. When she started stretching and waking up he fetched another cup mug of warm milk. He pushed it to her lips before she could speak, "Drink."

She gulped quietly, "How," she muttered, "How am I here? I was hiding in the shelter." Confused she pushed the mug away and looked around the room. "I don't understand."

"I brought you here." The Doctor replied, "Don't you remember?"

She shook her head and took another sip before replying, "I got lost." She said, "I found the camp, and you had left." She had to enunciate and think through each word to stop herself from slurring.

"We had to leave." He said quietly. "I couldn't stay."

Ace smiled, "But you came back."

"Of course I did." He tapped her nose.

She shivered and pulled the blankets closer, "I'm still cold, Professor." She said suddenly, as if she was afraid that was a terrible thing.

"You will be for a while." He explained, "You have hypothermia."

She disappeared under the covers with a soft moan. He patted, her shoulder, "You should make a full recovery." He promised, then turned away to hide the shame in his eyes. He knew he couldn't apologize to her, not while she was awake. Why was it so hard?

Ace caught the back of his jumper. "Let's not try that again for a while, eh Professor?"

"Of course not Ace."

**xxxxxxxxx**

**Thanks for reading. I would just like to say, I'm no expert on anything related to hypothermia, I researched this online. If I've gotten something wrong please let me know. Thanks again!**


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